I Tame Beasts by Feeding

Chapter 62: Chapter 61: Finding the Cause

Meanwhile.

Yu Changsheng had already arrived in Bright Moon City.

Perhaps because he was disguised as a Foundation Establishment Cultivator, he didn’t encounter any enemies on the way.

"That old master from the Yu Family is really something! He killed that prodigy from the Chen Family with a single sword strike, scaring Second Master Chen so badly he ran off without even daring to collect the body!"

"Heh, Yu Taoran made a name for himself in Bright Moon City a hundred years ago. He’s just been in seclusion for too long, so you juniors don’t know how formidable he is. If it weren’t for his impure Spirit Root, he would have reached Foundation Establishment long ago."

"But now the Yu Family and Chen Family are sworn enemies. No matter how strong Yu Taoran is, his Magical Power is finite. When the Chen Family’s three Qi Refining Peak cultivators show up at their door, how can he possibly fight them off?"

"So, you’re not optimistic about the Yu Family?"

"Of course. Otherwise, why didn’t the Wei Family help? Yu Taoran is old, after all. He can repel an enemy with a single strike, but to think he could wipe out the Chen Family’s three Qi Refining Peak cultivators? That’s next to impossible."

"If Yu Taoran were a bit younger, maybe he’d have a chance. But now, without having reached Foundation Establishment, coming out of seclusion to fight his enemies means he’ll either exhaust his lifespan or die at the hands of the Chen Family."

"The Chen Family can afford to drag this out, but the Yu Family can’t."

In a nearby tavern, several onlooking Cultivators discussed the matter animatedly.

Yu Changsheng had arrived here even before his grandfather made his move. He had been wondering how he could intervene to resolve the crisis and make the Chen Family back down.

Instead, he ended up witnessing that magnificent sword strike along with these other Cultivators.

"The Chen Family..."

Yu Changsheng put down his wine cup and silently left the tavern. As dusk fell, he evaded all observers and slipped into his family’s compound.

"Who’s there?"

As he used Shadow Flash to enter the main hall, a sharp gaze swept over him from within.

"It’s me, Grandfather." Yu Changsheng quickly dropped his disguise and cupped his hands in respect.

The person who appeared before him was none other than Yu Taoran, the guardian of the family. Behind him stood his father, Yu Chenghe, and his first uncle, Yu Zhiguo.

"Changsheng, you... you shouldn’t have come back," Yu Chenghe sighed worriedly upon seeing him.

"Father, the family is in trouble. How could your son sit by and do nothing?" Yu Changsheng said with a small smile.

Beside them, Yu Zhiguo lowered his head, an embarrassed look on his face. He had clearly just been reprimanded by his younger brother and father.

Hearing Yu Changsheng’s words, Yu Taoran studied him with a curious gaze.

Despite his Qi Refining Peak Realm, he was actually unable to see through Yu Changsheng’s true abilities, and he hadn’t even noticed how he had entered just now.

"Changsheng, I just heard about your situation from Chenghe. It seems you’ve grown quite a lot over the years," Yu Taoran said with a smile. "Come inside. Don’t just stand in the doorway."

"Yes, Grandfather." Yu Changsheng followed him into the main hall. Many people were inside, all of them his elders or important members of the Direct Lineage.

Yu Changao was also among them. Upon seeing Yu Changsheng, he was clearly reminded of the time he’d asked to borrow Spirit Stones, and he looked away, his expression souring.

Yu Taoran sat in the master’s seat and swept his gaze over the three generations of the family’s Direct Lineage gathered there.

His gaze lingered on Yu Changsheng for a moment, but instead of asking him anything, he spoke to the group.

"I don’t know what’s gotten into the Chen Family, but this is now a matter of life and death for the Yu Family. Since we are enemies, we must find a way to resolve this."

"What are your thoughts?"

At his words, everyone in the hall looked at each other in dismay.

Some of them were ordinary people with no Spirit Root, while others were Cultivators at the third to Fifth Layer of Qi Refining. They were used to just following orders, so now that Yu Taoran had asked for their opinion, it was as if they had lost their backbone and had no ideas to offer.

"Grandfather, the Chen Family has three Qi Refining Peak cultivators. If you make a move, can you destroy them? Can we win?" Yu Changao suddenly asked.

This was what everyone else was most concerned about as well. Yu Taoran’s previous sword strike had given them a huge confidence boost. If every strike was like that, then destroying the Chen Family seemed like it would be no problem at all.

But Yu Taoran, unlike the others, was not confident he could destroy the Chen Family. Instead, he took a sip of tea and said, "We can’t win."

Those three words struck everyone’s hearts like a thunderbolt. Their faces instantly paled, and they began whispering to one another.

"Then what do we do?"

"Besides Grandfather, no one can handle a Qi Refining Peak expert, let alone all the other Qi Refining Cultivators the Chen Family has!"

"What if we go to the Chen Family and negotiate for peace? We lost two Cultivators, and they only lost one. As long as we handle the talks well, things should be fine, right?"

"Right, right! We could also bring in the Wei Family and ask them to mediate."

Yu Taoran took in all their varied reactions.

He glanced at Yu Changao, a flicker of disappointment deep in his eyes.

Among the third-generation disciples, the only one he had high hopes for in the past was Yu Changao. His Spirit Root was better than Yu Changsheng’s, and he had a talent for Swordsmanship.

That was why he had personally instructed him back then, even imparting his own insights into Swordsmanship. Yet years had passed, and his Swordsmanship had not improved. His character was even worse than the others...

’I fear the Yu Family will never produce anyone stronger than me...’

Yu Taoran sighed internally.

In truth, he wasn’t really concerned about the Chen Family. ’If I can’t beat them, can’t I run? If the situation turns dire, I can simply take the Direct Lineage and relocate to Dongyang City. At worst, I could charge into the Chen Family’s home alone, then abandon my own family and seek Foundation Establishment. Unless the Chen Family is insane, they wouldn’t dare annihilate my entire clan; otherwise, they would have to worry day and night that I might succeed in reaching Foundation Establishment out in the world. It seems relocating is the only way to preserve the family now.’

Yu Taoran was deeply disappointed in his descendants. Then, he suddenly noticed Yu Changsheng, who was contemplating off to the side, and recalled what had just happened.

He spoke up, asking, "Changsheng, what do you think?"

Seeing his chance, Yu Changsheng stepped forward and said, "Grandfather, I think we should take the initiative and strike, but it would be best to first understand the reason behind all this."

"We’ve never had any enmity with the Chen Family. For them to suddenly target us like this, it’s likely someone else is pulling the strings. If we want to solve this permanently, we must first find the root cause."

"Oh?" A smile touched the corners of Yu Taoran’s mouth. "Then what do you plan to do?"

"I snuck into the city in disguise, so the Chen Family shouldn’t know I’m here. I want to go and investigate first." freeweɓnovēl.coɱ

"Are you confident?"

"I am."

Yu Changsheng nodded forcefully.

Yu Taoran thought for a moment and said, "Alright, I’ll give you five days. If that time passes, I will take the Direct Lineage and head to Dongyang City first. Then, I will deal with the Chen Family slowly."

Yu Changsheng nodded, showing that he understood.

The meeting in the hall soon ended. Yu Changsheng gave his father some Healing Elixirs he had bought, said his goodbyes, and left the Yu Family residence as silently as he had arrived.

When he appeared again, it was at a brothel.

"What can I get for you, dear guest?" a woman asked, greeting him with a beaming smile.

Yu Changsheng, wearing a mask, said calmly, "Play with the rabbits."

"Play with the rabbits" was the code phrase here. At first, he hadn’t believed it either—that the great Dark Stream Assassination Organization would actually set up a base of operations in a place like this.

’I hope Xi Wenyu wasn’t joking about something like this.’

The woman’s smile vanished instantly. In a low voice, she said, "This way, please, guest."